Sequester forces HUD to shut down 7 days

Mar. 11, 2013 - 11:10AM
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The Housing and Urban Development Department is planning to furlough its entire workforce for seven separate days. (File)

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The Housing and Urban Development Department is planning to shut down entirely for seven separate days between May and August as it furloughs its entire 9,100-person workforce.

HUD spokesman Jerry Brown said Monday that those seven agencywide furlough days will be spread out to one per pay period. HUD’s headquarters and field offices will all be shuttered on those days, Brown said, and no employees will be exempted from furloughs. Mission-critical employees — for example, people who are necessary to keep certain systems operating — would work during the closure days but would take their furloughs on other days.

“Everybody will have the same number of furlough days,” Brown said.

Brown said the agencywide shutdown dates are not yet decided, but HUD hopes to schedule them for Mondays or Fridays. During weeks that have federal holidays — such as Memorial Day or the Fourth of July, which falls on a Thursday this year — the shutdown days would probably be scheduled for the day after the holidays.

HUD on Feb. 28 held a town hall meeting, broadcast to all field offices, to tell employees about the furlough plans. But HUD has not yet sent formal furlough notices, which start the 30-day notification period required before furloughs can take effect.